Work Text:
Trevor Belmont had never been bothered by loud spaces before.
He had grown up on the streets and in taverns and bars his entire life. He was quite used to shouting and cheering and loud voices right in his ears. Quite used to gossip and found that a lot of it often revolved around him.
Tonight is different, however.
"Have you heard?" A lady dressed in far too of a flashy dress asks. She leans half into her companion's lap and still asks the question loud enough for everyone around her to hear. She sits halfway across the tavern from him but he hears as if he was right next to her.
"Hear what? Oh! Please, do enlighten me!" One of the women sitting across from her says. Her face lights up at the thought of gossip to converse over. She looks like the kind of woman who would have been right at home in the Belmont Hold. Sitting with a fan in one hand and giggling at something his mother had said. Sypha nudges his side to try to talk to him, but he pays little attention to her. He may have left the noble life long ago, but he cannot help his interest in their talking.
"My fiance tells me there are reported sightings of bodies impaled on spikes by the black castle," she says and both her companion's and Trevor's eyes go wide. He coughs into his elbow, sipping his drink and looking away. "I cannot quite say if it is true but I would not be surprised. They say the vampire there has given up on trying to be good. That he is delving into madness just like his father." She says and a chorus of shocked gasps come from the table. Rather ungracefully – though it's perhaps impossible to do it gracefully – Trevor spits his drink out in shock. He turns his gaze towards Sypha, but her expression is as hard as his own.
Excusing themselves from the chaos of the tavern. Trevor can feel a headache starting to build at the back of his head. He traces his thumb over the smooth, worn down leather of his whip which rests at his slide. He meets Sypha's eyes once more. There is a look in her eyes that is not quite fear, but she looks too panicked for Trevor not to worry.
"I refuse to believe it." He says once they are far enough away from the tavern that the noise is faint and his headache is fading.
"As much as I wish it weren't true, it has been too long since we've seen him, Trevor. And I fear we've been too lenient on checking in on him," she says, and then she takes his face in her hands and she presses her forehead to his own. "I can see it in your eyes how much you worry for him, and I know you don't want to have to stay around and worry that the worst is happening."
Trevor closes his eyes, his body relaxing against Sypha's hands. "I couldn't possibly leave you on your own to find your family." He tells her. Sypha – clever, cunning, incredible Sypha just smiles and shakes her head. With a small laugh, she steps back and plants her hands on his chest.
"You do not think me too weak to make the remainder of the journey, do you?" She asks, though it's clear she's joking and she grins.
"Of course not, love." He replies.
She pats his chest with a wide grin. "I'm too close to finding my family, and I know how much you care for him. I know you worry about him more than you tell me. Go find him." She says, and she pats his cheek and laughs gently. He wants to argue, it is practically in his blood to bicker with her but this time around he keeps his mouth shut.
He doesn't set out immediately. Instead opting to stay with Sypha for a day after to pack his things. She sees him out just as far as she is willing to go and for the first time in so very long, Trevor finds himself trekking alone.
Making his way back to his… home or what had once been his home, he finds it odd to be alone once more. It's been a very long time since he's willingly headed towards where the burnt remains of the Belmond Hold. He doesn't quite count his going back there to kill Dracula.
The trek is not something he is not used to, he's made it a few times already, though to do it alone is different. The forest is silent, as if it knows something is amiss, as if Trevor being alone is something that warrants a silence so heavy he feels like could reach out and touch it. Adjusting his cloak on his shoulders and sidestepping fallen trees, Trevor cannot help but wonder if the rumours are true. Would Alucard really impale bodies on the steps of his castle? He had sworn he would not follow the past his father had when they had split up after Dracula's defeat.
Trevor had wholeheartedly believed him, as Alucard had given him no reason to think otherwise.
Their entire journey Alucard had proven that he had more human in him than his father and that he would not follow down the same past. Surely, Alucard would never do what he had heard of.
His answer was given to him in the form of two human bodies impaled on spikes on the steps of the castle.
The bodies are… not old. There's a male and female. They're recent but they had not been killed outside. The pools of blood at their feet are not as big as they should be. The blood is coagulating and drying, dripping down bare forearms from slit throats. The slash is almost over the top, from ear to ear the cut opens the skin so fiercely that the bodies have almost been decapitated. They'll be skeletons soon enough, there's a raven picking at the skin of one of the bodies, Trevor stares blankly at them, too dumbstruck to say much. He swallows the lump in his throat, shrugs his shoulders trying to lift the weight that's settled there.
He marches up the stairs, taking great care to avoid the blood trails and he stares up at the doors. They're far too big and too sturdy for him to open them on his own so instead, he pulls out his sword, pounding on the doors with the hilt.
He's greeted with an empty, hollow sound. "Oi!" He shouts. "Open up, Fangs!"
He does not get a reply. He had not expected one in the first place so it doesn't quite bother him. Fine, he thinks. If he won't let me in I will let myself in.
The castle is many things. It is imposing, incredible, a true architectural nightmare to look at but one thing it certainly is, is that it's easy to scale.
With a grunt, Trevor shrugs his shoulders and sheaths his sword. He narrows his eyes as he steps away from the doors to grab at a free ledge by the door frame. Heaving himself up onto a ledge, his cloak flutters behind him as he lands in a crouch, dusting his hands off on his pants. He feels only a small amount of shame for all but breaking into Alucard's home, but he'll worry about it later. If it's for a good enough cause, surely he can be forgiven. Not enough to go to heaven, but enough that he won't end up like the corpses on the stairs.
He sneaks in through a window. He doesn't break it, slipping it open and then closing it behind him and then jumping from the makeshift balcony of sorts into the main hall.
He lands with a thump, his cloak fluttering behind him once more and bringing up a cloud of dust along with him. The castle is in good enough condition after what happened here but there's no one to be seen. There's something odd about it all. Alucard must know Trevor is here, he knows how stubborn he can be at times. He must know that Trevor wouldn't take no answer, because when he wants to check on someone, he will.
He doesn't call out for Alucard. He doesn't need to.
There's a massive wooden chandelier that hangs between the staircases. Rather– it had been hanging. It lays in shambles on the ground, splintered in two, old candles litter the ground around it and inside the broken wooden circle is Alucard's coat.
Trevor almost fears that Alucard is dead. That he made the chandelier fall on him, stake him through the heart, but Trevor knows better. To anyone else it might work, might make them think he had taken his own life but Trevor knows him better. At last resort, he wouldn't leave the castle and the Belmont Hold completely unattended. Trevor nudges at the coat with his foot, there's no ash or anything underneath it.
Such a well-crafted chandelier as well, he sighs wistfully. He picks the coat up, holding it with trembling hands. Folding it over on itself, he tucks it under his arm and makes his way up the steps, only a little on edge.
He doesn't say anything, he feels like he cannot speak. Almost as if the silence cannot be broken, as if it won't allow him to speak. Trevor doesn't know what he'd say to begin with, so the quiet is almost something he enjoys.
It doesn't take very long to find Alucard. Perhaps a little longer than someone who knew the layout of the castle, but it doesn't take him too long.
Trevor finds him in his father's room, sitting before a dying fire. The weak crackling of its last embers is the only sound until Trevor steps into the room. Alucard does not acknowledge his presence, he doesn't even move, though he's shaking like a leaf. It's the first time he's ever seen Alucard un this in this state of… distress almost.
"What are you doing here, Belmont." It's not a question, more of a demand.
"Well," Trevor edges.
"Don't pick your words around me, Belmont. Speak your mind." He snaps, but his voice is wrong, hollow and lacking any of the bite that is normally in his voice. He sounds tired, his voice a little hoarse.
"What the fuck happened, Alucard? What did they do to you for them to end up impaled on your doorstep."
"They did… nothing." He whispers and it sounds more like a question than anything else. Trevor scoffs as he steps up behind the half-vampire.
"And that's why they've almost been decapitated and run through on the steps of the castle?" He asks, tilting his head. "Come on, Fangs. Despite what you think, I'm not that much of an idiot." He replies.
Alucard doesn't rise to the bait, something stabs at Trevor's heart.
"What did they do to you?" He asks gently as he kneels beside him. Alucard's still shaking and after a moment, Trevor shrugs his cloak off of his shoulder, and with a flurry of cloth, wraps it around Alucard's shoulder. The look on his face almost makes Trevor laugh as he brings trembling hands up at grasp at the fur around his head. The sleeves of his shirt are long enough to cover the long and winding wounds that cross over his skin. Trevor bites back his horror, turning his gaze away.
"Are you here to kill me?" Alucard asks, avoiding his question. His voice far too soft and fearful for Trevor to like. He's never heard him like before, he does not like it. Does not like the quiver he hears in his voice.
"Are you going to rid the world of me before I turn into my father? I would not blame you. I encourage it, actually." He says, bluntly, though his voice is still shaky. Trevor makes a face.
"I'm not here to kill you," he whispers. "We're worried about you, Alucard." He says. Alucard looks away, golden hair that had once shone under any light looks dull and muted.
"Are you really? Or do you wish to rid the world of me before I become an issue to you and the speaker?" He asks.
"Do you see Sypha here? Though she let leave it was my choice to come seek you out, because I like to think I know you, Alucard. And this, whatever it is, isn't you," he says. Hesitantly, he reaches out to fluff out the fur of his cloak, brushing a loose strand of golden hair from Alucard's eyes. The sole fact that he is allowed to do this is odd. "I will not force you to talk about it if you do not wish to, but whatever happened, it's affected you more than you're willing to admit, Alucard."
"Of course it has," he whispers and Trevor goes very still. He nods, not saying anything for fear that it would scare Alucard out of what he'd be saying. Alucard takes a deep, shaking breath.
"They sought me out," he starts quietly, voice almost ashamed. "They wanted to learn, to understand and to know all the knowledge I held within the castle, the hold, me. They gave me so much and asked for nothing in return and I got too comfortable around them. They… they gave me no reason to think of them as anything other than friends." He whispers, his hands clenched so tightly on the fur his knuckles are white. Gently, Trevor takes his hands, lowers them to his lap.
"And then?"
He takes another shaky breath. "I let them into my bed," he gasps, shaking, he lowers his head. "And they betrayed me. They had never wanted any friendship, never wanted anything from me than my death. Though I do not plan to- do anything like that to anyone else, they deserve their fate. I do not regret what I did. I opened my doors to them and they- they-" he stops and Trevor does not want to hear anything else. He already feels sick. Half-vampire or no, to use someone and hurt them like that is… it's vile.
Trevor pulls his hands away. To hurt someone like that will leave both physical and mental scars. Alucard should know Trevor would never willingly hurt him, but he doesn't want Alucard to think he'd hurt him. He meets Alucard's golden eyes, unsure of what to say. He swallows, folding his hands in his lap. Alucard sniffles, it's odd to see him so close to tears, though, by his red-rimmed eyes, he's already been crying.
"I tried to be good, just like everyone wanted. I tried to be like my mother but it-" he sighs. "I suppose a monster like myself can never be truly good."
"That's bullshit and you know it," Trevor surprises himself with the harshness of his words, though they're not directed at Alucard. "They came for you, lied and took advantage of you and you rightly defended yourself when they attacked and hurt you." He says, firmly. He leaves no room for argument, no room for Alucard to even think of saying otherwise. The golden-haired man swallows any of his retorts and then he nods gently, it's barely an incline of his head. Trevor offers him a gentle smile.
"How about we move from this room. Somewhere more comfortable than this, surely the floor isn't all that nice, yeah?"
Alucard doesn't reply, but he makes a move to stand, wobbling on his feet. Trevor wraps one arm around his waist to keep him upright, and Alucard leans into him, hiding his face in the crook of Trevor's neck. Trevor looks away to hide the blush that spreads across his cheeks. Alucard is cold, so very cold, but the large coat around his shoulders offers some warmth. Trevor practically carries Alucard to an unoccupied room, though it seems to have been used recently. Alucard makes a soft sound at the back of his throat and Trevor offers him a soft, albeit sorry smile.
"I know you don't need sleep, but you should try to get some anyway. The first step to getting better, as I've always said, is to sleep it off."
"That's stupid." He whispers, though he's smiling.
"It works for me." He counters, cocking his head to one side.
"That's because you're stupid."
A pout. "Hey."
Alucard laughs softly and shakes his head at Trevor's expression and Trevor makes a face, mocking offence. He helps Alucard sit on the edge of the bed, and then crouches down before him to adjust his cloak on his shoulders. When Trevor meets his eyes, Alucard's expression softens before he looks away. He doesn't know what to say, he wants to say something but finds himself unable to speak. He swallows and Alucard clears his throat as Trevor stands.
"Yeah?"
"Can you stay?" He asks and Trevor's eyes go wide. He rubs at the back of his neck, feeling a little colder without his coat, but the sight of it on Alucard's shoulders made up for it. Trevor raises an eyebrow, clearing his throat awkwardly.
"H-Here, in the room? Or..?"
"At the castle," Alucard says quietly, swallowing his embarrassment. Trevor blinks, smiling and he says nothing and he tilts his head to the other side. Alucard takes a deep breath.
"If that's what I want."
"It's what I'd like." He whispers.
"Okay. If you… need me, I'll be somewhere. Just give a shout." He says, and though Alucard looks like he wants to say something, he doesn't. He swallows his reply and wrings his hands, shrugging his shoulders so the fur of the coat is practically hiding his face. He does murmur something but Trevor doesn't quite catch it. He gives him a small smile and then turns on his heels to go find a different room.
In the end, he falls asleep in the chair that had belonged to Dracula in the room where he'd first found Alucard.
He doesn't see Alucard for almost a week after that. Rather– he does see him but only in the form of glimpses of the dhampir. When Trevor woke the day after coming to the castle when he went to check on Alucard he hadn't been there. A note simply read "Do make yourself at home, Belmont. Should you need me, you'll find me." Trevor thought it was rather endearing, though, and Trevor tucks the note into one of his pockets. His cloak isn’t present on the bed, Alucard must have taken it with him, he doesn’t mind. He’d thought the sight of Alucard in his cloak was cute.
He isn’t quite sure why Alucard takes the cloak with him though, or why Alucard takes great care in… avoiding him. He’s not completely avoiding him, sometimes they pass in the halls, or Trevor runs into him in the library. A lot of Trevor’s free time he spends in the Belmont Hold, going through old books and trinkets of sorts. He remembers a lot of these and while they do bring up a lot of painful, painful memories, Trevor tries his best to act like they don’t bother him. He cannot hide from the many paintings and family portraits. On the day before he runs into Alucard again, he had spent the entire day staring at an old family portrait; at the old painting on him. Eleven-year-old Trevor had looked so happy. If only he had known what would happen. If only young Trevor had known he’d end up here, trying to help a dhampir.
On the eve of the seventh night, Trevor runs into Alucard in the kitchen. The half-vampire has his back to him, fussing over something at the counter, he doesn’t even notice Trevor is there until he clears his throat. Alucard spins, startled and he blinks.
“Don’t run from me, fangs,” he says softly, brushing a strand of hair out of Alucard’s eyes. He’s got his hair up in a bun. Trevor could rather get used to the sight of it. “Not this time, please?” He asks. Alucard bites the inside of his cheek and he nods, just a small incline of his chin.
The wounds on his arms and chest have started to fade, but they’re still there and the sight of them makes him swallow his discomfort. He offers Alucard a small smile as quietly, the two of them fall into a simple routine of preparing a dinner that will be enough for the two of them. Something a little lighter for Trevor, and more food for Alucard because Trevor had a feeling that Alucard hasn’t eaten much recently. Alucard protests about it, but Trevor gives him a soft look that shuts him up.
“There are paintings.” Alucard starts and Trevor’s heart all but sinks because he knows where this conversation is heading. He sips his wine feigning nonchalance. “In the Belmont Hold and I… was curious. I had not meant to find them, though after all the family portraits you’ve seen of my family, that I see what I assume are yours seems fair enough.” He explains.
“It is my family. In the biggest portrait, it’s me, my parents, my elder sisters and my younger brother. None of us were too excited about it. Sitting still for hours at a time was never my thing.”
“Even as a child?” Alucard asks, sitting up straight.
“Even as a child.” He confirms. “I think we were all pretty good actors, all things considering we all have such large smiles on my face.” He laughs softly and he props his chin on his fist, giving Alucard his most charming smile. Alucard snorts and Trevor feels a small pinch of pride within him. That’s more like the old Alucard he knew.
“Just so you know, I don’t mind that you’ve found the portraits. They never meant much to me, and I did give you what remains of my home, you know. Perhaps they can show you a glimpse of what could have been had we not been excommunicated and killed.” He whispers.
“Had that not happened, we wouldn’t be here, Trevor. Your family would have most likely killed us, my father and I.” Alucard says, voice tense. Trevor’s eyes go wide at the use of his first name. Not Belmont, not asshole, not dickhead. None of the nicknames Alucard had called him before. Just… Trevor. Just Trevor. He swallows hard.
“I must admit to you,” he continues a moment later. Trevor meets his eyes. “That I’m happy that was not the outcome we came to. While I’m not happy over all the things that have happened to us, in the end, I met you and I can… I can be happy with that.”
Trevor isn’t sure what to say. Genuinely, he’s shocked, though a little… happy? He isn’t sure what the best word to use it, happy is close enough.
“I… am glad, quite happy even, that you would consider me a close enough friend to tell me that,” Trevor says gently. Alucard offers him an almost shy smile as he looks down at his wine glass. He hadn’t been expecting Alucard to say that. He bites his lip.
A very brief moment of silence passes between them, Alucard clears his throat as he stands and Trevor scrambles to stand after him. He grabs Alucard’s wrist, stopping him from leaving. Alucard looks startled once again, he seems genuinely shocked that Trevor stopped him.
“You’re avoiding me,” Trevor whispers, stepping close to Alucard. Alucard is taller than him, and Trevor reaches out to touch his face. Despite the fear in his eyes, Alucard lets him touch him. He leans into Trevor’s touch. “Can you tell me why? I want… I want to help you, but I can’t do that if you disappear on me every time I see you.” He says softly. Alucard swallows and he brings his hands up, putting one overtop Trevor’s wrist. The other he doesn’t seem to know what to do with, so Trevor takes it, and he presses the back of Alucard’s hand to his chest. His heart beats under their interlocked hands.
“I’m not-” he gulps. “I’m afraid,” Alucard admits. It’s quite out of character for him, but none of this is in character. He’d been hurt, of course, it would make sense that he would be afraid.
“Of being hurt again?” Trevor guessed. A moment of silence passes before Alucard nods.
“I know that- I know that you won’t- you won’t hurt me, but can you understand why I might be worried. You have given me so many reasons to trust you. Nothing about me warrants your trust, your kindness,” he says gently, his voice smooth and composed, though there is a small quiver in his voice. There’s so much he wants to say, but Alucard isn’t done. “I could never hurt you. I never wanted to hurt them but they forced my hand. I wanted to love them, I thought I could open my heart to them, and they…” he trails off, biting his lip. His fangs almost split the skin. Trevor offers him a soft smile,
“I know,” he whispers. “While I came here to possibly stop you from turning towards the darkness of the path your father followed, I never could have hurt you. Certainly not when all you did was hide away.”
“During the days I stayed away from you… you know I have your cloak. I used it to ground me in reality. It smells like the forest, like you. I had expected a rank smell, but I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted with the scent of pine and rain. It feels like home.” He says gently, and he steps closer to Trevor.
“I don’t smell.” Trevor protests weakly, though he’s smiling. Alucard returns the smile.
“Now you don’t. Though I can’t quite fault you too much.”
Trevor ‘hmphs!’ and looks away, though he cannot keep the small smile off of his face. Bringing his free hand up, Alucard makes Trevor look back at him and there’s the softest look in his eyes that makes Trevor's heart ache. Alucard swallows.
“I think I might care for you a great deal more than I first thought,” Alucard tells him.
“Oh yeah?”
“Unfortunately.”
Trevor answers in the form of a hum, the sound low and deep before Alucard closes the distance between them. His lips are soft, a little hesitant but Trevor kisses him back almost immediately, pouring all the love and affection he can into the kiss. Alucard whimpers gently, sagging against and quickly, Trevor pulls Alucard into his arms to sit him on the table. Alucard laughs, shocked and he brings his hands up, running his fingers through Trevor’s hair.
“I’m sorry if I worried you by locking myself away.” He whispers against his lips.
“It gave me the opportunity to come to save you like some knight in shining armour. And I can’t quite complain about the outcome we’ve been presented.” He says and Alucard scoffs, playfully shoving at his arm. They both know that Alucard is no maiden in need of saving from some evil force, he had needed to pull himself from this deep darkness that had settled over him, but all he’d needed was a little push.
“As long as you’re not suffering, fangs, I can be content.”
“Please Belmont, you can come up with a better nickname than that, surely.” Alucard teases, but Trevor only shakes his head.
“Trevor.” He says, kissing Alucard again. “Call me Trevor. We’re on first-name basis, are we not?” He asks, his lips still brushing against Alucard's. The feeling of his fangs, a small, albeit powerful threat sends a shiver up his spine.
“I- I love you, Trevor.” He says, and had he been at full health, Trevor was sure he would be beet red. He certainly looks flustered enough. “And I have for a very long time. That day you told me to “eat shit and die”, goodness. I was smitten. You’re so… so messy and brutish and a walking, living disaster, but god if I didn’t fall hard for it. There’s more to you than just that though, as I’ve come to find and when I found that out, there was no going back.” He tells him, looking more and more embarrassed the more he spoke.
Trevor laughs. “You might as well have just proposed to me, Adrian,” he sniffles, pretending he’s to begin crying. Alucard laughs, “That was the nicest thing anyone’s ever told me. I couldn't possibly think to say something like that back to you. You know me and words.” He says.
“Well, why don't you show me then, your love for me.” He says, and his voice gets deeper as he does. All blood shoots down towards his crotch and a slow, gleeful smile curls across his lips. He captures Alucard’s lips in a heated kiss, pulling him off of the table and into his arms.
“I like the sound of that.”
Sweaty and sticky and thoroughly fucked out of his mind, Adrian cuddles up to Trevor’s side. He had always loved the way Trevor radiated warmth, no matter the circumstances. Trevor is a beacon of light and warmth, no matter how cold, he could, and does always offer comfort to Adrian. In more ways than one. He closes his eyes, draping one arm over Trevor’s chest, closing his eyes with a content sigh.
Outside, a wolf howls, it carries long and loud in the peaceful night and though Adrian cannot find sleep, it gives him a very good excuse to watch Trevor as he sleeps. Perhaps that’s a tad bit odd, and this is by far not the first time Adrian had observed Trevor like this, but it is most definitely the most intimate time. Trevor is gorgeous, his sharp jawline decorated with stubble, High, lovely cheekbones, plump lips and bright, wide but narrowed eyes. The scar that slashes across his left eyes really does add to his beauty.
“Thank you,” he whispers, pressing a kiss to the bottom of the scar. He gently brushes a small strand of hair from his eyes, “Thank you for helping me. For letting me see the light.” He continues.
He presses a kiss to his neck, closing his eyes, hoping sleep will come to him soon. “I love you, Trevor.”